11 Tibetans commit self-immolation protesting Chinese occupation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 November 2011, 00:20 GMT]With a 35-year-old Tibetan Buddhist nun immolating herself in Eastern Tibet on Thursday, the number of Tibetans committing self-immolation protesting China’s genocidal occupation of Tibet rises to 11 in the recent months. The escalation in self-immolation is a result of China intensifying martial law rule in occupied Tibet. The Tibetan diaspora in India, Nepal and elsewhere paid homage to the martyrs, but even a peaceful prayer gathering of around 400 Tibetans including 150 monks in Kathmandu was interrupted by Nepalese riot police that pulled down a banner of Dalai Lama, angering the Tibetan diaspora. Nepal says it cannot allow protests against ‘friendly’ nations such as China. Peoples of South Asia, especially Tamils have to show full solidarity to Tibetans oppressed by the Establishments, Buddhist circles in Tamil Nadu said.

Monks of the Tibetan Diaspora in a South Indian settlement, Gadan Jangtse, holding hunger strike protesting Chinese oppression resulting in self-immolations

The Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka will not voice for their brethren in Tibet, because they depend on China for support and models to follow in carrying out the genocide against Eezham Tamils. Sometimes back, Tibetan organisations accused the Editor of the Chennai-based The Hindu for conniving with Chinese against Tibetans. Peoples of the nations facing military occupation and genocide should rise up in solidarity against common enemies, the Tamil Buddhist circles in Tamil Nadu said.

Such acts of solidarity go beyond religious affiliations whether it is Buddhists of Tibet, Muslims of Philippines or animists of South Sudan. For over 50 years South Asia did nothing to the cause of Tibetans who came into South Asian countries as refugees and peacefully pursued their cause, the Tamil Buddhist activists pointed out, adding that the cause of Tibetans is a South Asian cause.

The fate of Eezham Tamils will be worse, even within a much shorter span of time, if Tamils don’t rise up in solidarity against the common enemies. Tibetans have no numbers outside of Tibet. But even after having the numbers on their side, Tamils of Tamil Nadu are unable to stop occupation and genocide of the country of Eezham Tamils, the activists further said.

They also urged the Tamil diaspora in the West and elsewhere to act in solidarity with the Tibetans.

Tibetans have a large colony at Gonikoppal located in the Tamil Nadu - Karnataka border.